Talmud
A Time to be Silent and a Time to Speak
“There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.” So says the author of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) in a ...
Jews Don’t Believe in Birthdays but in Saving Lives
My husband does not do birthdays. When I first met him over 20 years ago, this truly puzzled me. Birthdays ...
Life as a Female Semicha Student
When I was young, I was drawn to the study of Torah as a way to get closer to God ...
From Secular Jew to Talmud Scholar Part II: Many Ways to Study Talmud
Click here for part 1 of this series. Rabbi Benay Lappe instructed us in the traditional method of Talmud study, ...
From Secular Jew to Talmud Scholar Part I: How I Came to Study Talmud
Readers often ask: How did a girl raised in a secular socialist family in Los Angeles come to be a ...
Bridgegate vs. God
Bridgegate.The story broke two weeks ago, and updates are still front-page news.Allegedly, New Jersey Governor Christie’s leadership team closed lanes ...
Pursuing your dreams?
About a year ago, someone recommended a Paulo Coelho book to me—a popular one— The Alchemist . Most people I ...
Hillel and Shammai
Two weeks ago I posted a piece responding to some articles on patrilineality which provoked several excellent other blog posts ...
Parashat Re’eh: Observe That Which I Enjoin Upon You
Jews read sections of the Torah each week, and these sections, known as parshiyot, inspire endless examination year after year. ...
Is Freedom A Jewish Virtue?
Are you on the freedom bandwagon yet? Celebrations of the concept of freedom seem to be permeating the cultural-political zeitgeist ...
Chanukah/Hanukkah: So Many Ways to Celebrate
The Daf Yomi (Hebrew for “page a day”), is a program for learning Talmud. Participants study one page a day, ...
Hanukkah: Holiday of Queer Miracles
I’m skeptical of Hanukkah. Maybe it’s the rampant commercialism that defines the entire month of December. Maybe it’s the way ...